On-live service sends medical alerts to people with weather sensitive medical conditions

Bad weather is big trouble for Laurie Weil.  She says storm clouds signal horrible migraines.  But if she’s alerted before the weather moves in she can prepare accordingly.

“This is the day where I’m going to go extra heavy on the meds or extra heavy on the ibuprofen, or make sure my ice pack’s at work”, Weil said.

An important tool for patients like Laurie is a web based service call MediClim.  One of the founders, Canadian doctor John Bart says technology now allows them to alert tens of thousands of people every month.

“With the prediction, people can then go to their other triggers, take maneuvers avoid falling prey to the disease from which they suffer”, Dr. Bart, founder of MediClim said.

Patients with conditions like arthritis, asthma, migraines, diabetes and heart disease can all be affected by the weather.  For example, a sudden drop in barometric pressure triggers migraines and changes in humidity trigger arthritis.  The wind may affect heart disease and thunderstorms are linked to asthma attacks. 

“We can do it in 36 to 72 hours”, Dr. Bart of MediClim said.  “But the further away from the weather forecast we go, the less reliable it is.“

Even pregnancy may be affected by the weather.  Sarah Alzamora prayed for rain when she was pregnant with her son four years ago.  She was nine days late, and her doctor blamed a long hot dry spell.  But not all doctors agree. 

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Gynecologist Dana Gossett says fewer obstetricians accept the thought that weather can affect a delivery.  “We still don’t understand what triggers labor”, Dr. Gossett said.